Eminem Lets The Double Bird Fly At Lions’ Playoff Exit

The legendary Detroit native rapper, Eminem, made an appearance at the NFC championship game between the Detroit Lions and San Fransisco 49ers in Santa Clara, California, on January 28, and he didn’t let his opportunity go to let 49ers fans know how he felt.

The Lions jumped out to a lead early. They were up 24-7 at halftime, but like the Lions did at the beginning, the 49ers were roaring in the third quarter. The number one-seeded 49ers scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter to tie the game 24-24 heading into the fourth quarter. It was around this time that Eminem’s palms were getting sweaty.

The 49ers won the fourth quarter 10-7 to give them the 34-31 win and a spot in Super Bowl LVIII. The Lions hadn’t made it to the NFC championship in over 30 years, and they were on the brink of reaching their first Super Bowl in franchise history, so it’s understandable for Lions fans like Eminem to be frustrated to this level, especially when they had a 17-point lead at the halftime break.

Although, Eminem wasn’t doing this out of frustration.

Eminem let the double bird fly while the Lions were up in the first half, playing as well as they had played all season. They had 280 total yards of offense in the first half, 148 of it coming through the ground game, which Lions head coach Dan Campbell was notorious for throughout the year.

Lions fans also loved Campbell’s guts in fourth-down scenarios, but in the NFC championship game, they might have advised him differently. Campbell went 0/2 on fourth downs in the game, giving the 49ers possession in key moments down the stretch. During the regular season, the Lions went for it on fourth down 34% of the time. That’s the highest rate of any team this century.

Campbell wasn’t going to let his opportunity slip because this opportunity has literally come once in a lifetime for most Lions fans.

Article by Nathan Weick

USports writing intern and second year student-athlete at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA pursuing BA in Professional Writing and BA in Spanish/Hispanic Cultures. Juniata College Mens Soccer Captain and former president of the Juniata College Class of 2026.